KANSAS CITY, Mo. — By the end of the day Thursday, leaders in Kansas City, Missouri, may fully decriminalize marijuana possession.
The city council will vote on a proposal to eliminate fines for violating municipal rules on possession of and controlling marijuana.
In 2017, Kansas Citians voted to partially decriminalize marijuana. Since that vote, someone caught in the city with 35 grams or less of marijuana is given a $25 fine. Anyone with over 35 grams receives a $50.
The ordinance in front of city council Thursday eliminates the fines, rewriting the municipal code to say “possession or control of marijuana is not a violation of the Code of Ordinances.”
Sponsors of the proposal think of it as less of a focus on marijuana and more of a focus on racial equity.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said police across the country are four times more likely to arrest African Americans for marijuana possession than whites. He argued eliminating possession from the city’s laws means fewer blacks will have negative interactions with police and end up with fines.
Each of the Black city council members have come out in support of the ordinance. The entire council will vote on the proposal at 3 p.m Thursday.
No matter how the city council votes, marijuana possession will remain illegal on the state and federal levels. Although, the prosecutor in Jackson County said her office is no longer prosecuting most marijuana arrests on the state level.
